3 early predictions for Blues offseason after Jets series loss

There was a time during the season when it seemed like the Blues were actually going to trade their captain. Schenn saw his name swirling in trade rumors for months despite having three years left on his contract at a very reasonable $6.5 million AAV.

Schenn ended up with 50 points in 2024-25, four more than his final total from 2023-24. He also improved his plus-minus from minus-22 to plus-three, which is notable. The 33-year-old chipped in two goals and three points against the Jets in Round 1, and he showed that he still has a game that is well-suited to the playoffs.

Although Armstrong and Steen could still consider moving Schenn, he would need to sign off on it as he owns a no-trade clause. That gets modified on July 1, at which time he can turn down a trade to only 15 teams. It’ll be interesting to see if the Blues re-engage with the captain about the possibility of accepting a move, but after the team’s excellent second half, it wouldn’t be surprising if they held onto him.

St. Louis will lock up offer-sheet darlings Dylan Holloway, Philip Broberg

One of the reasons the Blues even advanced to the playoffs is due to the excellent play of Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg, who were both pried out of Edmonton with offer sheets last summer. Although both players missed time with injury — and Holloway devastatingly missed Round 1 against the Jets — getting them locked up long-term should be a priority for the organization.

Both players are on two-year contracts, and are eligible to sign extensions on July 1, when they will each enter the final year of their respective deals. Despite missing the postseason, Holloway is well-deserving of a hefty extension. The 23-year-old finished second on the team with 26 goals and third in points with 63. He’s an absolute steal right now at just a $2.29 million AAV. St. Louis could go as high as an eight-year contract, and although it won’t be cheap, Holloway should be a cornerstone of the top-six for years to come.

Broberg, also 23, managed 29 points in 68 games in his first season in Missouri. He’s making $4.58 million, so his raise won’t be as significant as Holloway’s, but he has shown he has top-pair potential. Considering how old St. Louis’ blue line is — Justin Faulk, Colton Parayko, Cam Fowler and Nick Leddy are all over 30 — re-signing Broberg should be another top priority.

It would be shocking if Armstrong didn’t offer both Holloway and Broberg extensions on July 1, and the two young players should be key pieces of the core for the foreseeable future.

Blues re-sign Radek Faksa, but let Ryan Suter walk

The Blues are going to have a ton of decisions to make on a plethora of pending unrestricted free agents next summer. Mathieu Joseph, Oskar Sundqvist, Alexei Toropchenko, Nathan Walker, Fowler and Leddy will all be UFA’s on July 1, 2026.

But this offseason, there are only two: Radek Faksa and Ryan Suter. The former has fit in very well with the Blues after being acquired from the Dallas Stars last summer for future considerations. The 31-year-old is a very solid fourth-line center with good defensive metrics, and although he only managed 15 points in 70 games in the regular season, he was terrific in the playoffs.

Faksa chipped in a goal and five points in seven games, along with a plus-seven rating, and averaged a shade over 15 minutes. He truly upped his game when it mattered most, and he’s well deserving of a new contract in Missouri — if he wants one.

As for Suter, he’ll very likely not be retained this summer. The Blues already have one of the oldest blue lines in the league, and Suter is now 40-years-old. Despite impressingly playing his fourth straight season without missing a game, the Madison, Wisconsin native chipped in just 15 points, along with an assist in five playoff games.

St. Louis needs to let the kids play, and that includes Tyler Tucker and Matthew Kessel, who look ready to at least compete for full-time NHL roles. Not counting Krug, the Blues have seven defensemen under contract for 2025-26: Tucker, Kessel, Leddy, Faulk, Parayko, Broberg and Fowler.

While it’s been an impressively long career for Suter, it wouldn’t be surprising if he hung up the skates this summer. If he doesn’t, it’s unlikely that the Blues will be bringing him back with so many options on the back end for next year.

Overall, it was an extremely encouraging campaign for the team. Montgomery’s squad went 19-4-3 down the stretch and nearly upset — and probably should have upset — the NHL’s best regular season team in Round 1. Although it ended in heartbreak, the Blues boast some great young players along with a solid veteran core, and they should again be knocking on the door of the Stanley Cup Playoffs next spring.